My son

I had another really good conversation with him the other day. This little gem came out.

"Daddy, i get teased at school because i'm clever, and because i'm white."

His response went something along the lines of: "Mr Einstein is clever, and i want to be clever like him." Also included in his comments to me was the fact that he was going to honours evening, they weren't.

Well, the whole conversation is one of those terribly kafka-esque scenarios, where the reality is so badly contorted, that even Alice would throw her hands up and say bugger that for a lark, or something similar.

Teased, clever, white. The 3 main points in that, and unfortunately, teasing is never a once off event, it's usually ongoing, insistant, and as my son has pointed out before, it comes looking for you. Teased for being clever, well thankfully he sees the irony in that. Nothing that he could ever say would do justice to the absurdity of stupid people, being stupid people, and being loud about being stupid, to boot.

Of course, being teased for being white, well he must be lying. That never happens in this quasi-communist-fascist-dictatorship-rainbow nation of ours? *chuckle* I think the stupid rule applies here too.

I'm glad to say he had a huge grin on his face as he told me this. He knows it's not right, but he also knows it's irrelevant. He has his friends, and all he needs, and he knows it. I think the word *progress* can be whispered softly.

Ah to be 10 again. The only difference i can tell between my youth and his is the ability to ride a bicycle all over the neighbourhood. Oh, and he has a computer. Fair trade? I don't think so, but such is life.

Anyhow, just for my budding scientist: *ugh* our internet is not happy, hence neither am i. *insert einstein tongue picture here*

peace